It’s been a long time since we hung the first float under the roof, followed by the second one. All those years they have collected only dust but now they can come down again.

Something has changed.

The port float is hanging above and behind the boat. To bring down the port float I first had to make room next to the boat. The boat has to slide sideways to create ample maneuver space for the forklift. With the help of two pallet jacks the boat easily slides sideways.

With a makeshift boat-stand clamped to the forklift I carefully lifted the float, unscrewed the tensioning straps the floats were hanging in and bring it down. However, maneuvering with forklift and boat only takes one way. The port float is still looking in the wrong direction but turning is not possible because of lacking space. The workshop crane brings the solution.

In the free space somewhere in the middle of the workshop height, I can turn the boat in the right direction and bring it back to the position at the port side of the center hull.

The other float is much easier to reach and is already hanging in the right direction. There is still not enough maneuvering space for the forklift but taking it over by the workshop crane brings the float to its position at the starboard side of the center hull.

After all the dust has been removed, the first work is putting the floats upside down for applying the Coppercoat anti-foul.

While the boat is still lying at an angle to the ground this is also a good moment to provide the hull with 5 layers of Coppercoat. First the port half and after turning the boat on her other side the starboard half.

And finally the time has come to break down the temporary insulation shed …

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First of all, thanks to the other F36 / F39 builders who have gone through the same process and published their learned lessons. I was convinced that I would not step in the same traps.

Now I know better. Pride comes before the fall.

Lessons learned, stay sharp also at the end of a long building project.

Using the outer ends of the beams as a mold for making the beam sleeves is not very difficult, I made them with vacuum bagging, but releasing them from the beam outer end is another story. I was warned by the experience of other builders who had great difficulties with releasing the sleeves. This helps me a lot executing a well proven releasing procedure to lever off the beam bolt. So I made some wooden beams and placed them over the beam bolt nut with a big washer in between. Connection with the sleeve is with two layers of (left over) carbon UD. I prepared the beam outer ends with 5 layers of a mold release wax. I have used this stuff before and had not difficulties with it ……

However, somewhere in this process or in my thinking I made a big mistake and my worst nightmare has become true. The sleeves did not want to loosen. Even with a very brute force they are not prepared to separate from the beam. Of course there is always a plan B, but damn, this feels like a loss. I ended up with making a cut in the underside of the sleeve giving space for some wedges. All four sleeves were more or less glued to the beam at the same spot, the edge between underside and outer end. Coincidence ? or has anyone a smart conclusion …

In retrospect, the preparation with the mold release wax was not good enough. Did I forget this edge ? did I forget it five times ! (I’m not surprised at anything) or should I have used a PVA release agent in addition to the wax. Or using packaging tape in addition to the other mold release stuff which gives then two chances as the tape itself is also able to release. I don’t know. What I do know is that the approach of the four beams at the same time did not prove very clever for such a delicate work. There is no way to adjust the technique and make improvements in the meantime.

What I do know now is that plan B is not a big deal and is a good solution for quick builders. Thus not worth a nightmare 😉

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The slow hardener of Ampreg 21, which I used to build the full carbon beams, likes to be post-cured at a moderately elevated temperature of 50 degrees Celsius during 16 hours. To do this I have built an insulated box heated by a simple blow heater.
Start making the box and support for the four beams.
Positioning the beams.
Finishing the box.
Post-curing in progress.

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At least structural, which is a great relief. Since my last post in May I’ve spent 570 hours in building these full carbon things. Including the build hours before May I’ve spent a total of 630 in building the Beams. That is besides my day job.

That being said, I had to introduce myself to my wife again 😉

So, I’m in a hurry because the launch of Fram is now coming seriously in sight.

However, the good progress of construction remains bad for the updates of this website. Hope you understand that.

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First of all my apologies for my silence here lately. I am just too busy with getting my boat finished to publish regular updates.

However, last week I reached another milestone. The first beam interior has been finished and the second is also progressing very well. That sounds not very spectacular but for me it is a big step forward as I was very much looking against it.

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While I was looking for an image of the infusion around the daggerboard case, I discovered that the photo gallery about the deck laminate and vacuum infusion has not been finished. Sorry about that. I now have added a lot of photo’s about that event.

After I had turned the hull I wanted to quickly begin fairing work on the deck and in the cockpit. Yet there were still some details that need to be completed.

In the previous post I have described the work around the deck hatches. The photo’s are here.

Furthermore moreover:

After installing the engine I definite closed the cockpit floor. If it’s ever necessary to lift the engine again I will have to cut out a new hole with the jigsaw.

Shaped the cockpit coaming ….

…. finished the laminate on the cockpit coaming in front of the beam bulkhead and released the upper folding strut recess in the aft beam bulkhead.

The same for the forward beam bulkhead. Until now this recess has been closed off for the purpose of the vacuum infusion of the external laminate.

Completing the ending of the cabin roof.

Completing the inside of the bridge deck, designing a system to store the two acrylic washboards inside the bridge deck and mounting a molded glasfibre U-section for the washboards.

Completed the base for the sliding hatch.

External laminate for the anchor chain tube.

Determining window size, making the molds for them and completing the window cut outs.

Furthermore, making a mold to find back all the HD inserts in the deck which will be covered by paint and thus not visible anymore, finishing the forestay chainplate, finding back and finishing all drain holes, etc, etc.

But finally all these details (at starboard side, there is still a port side to do) are completed now and I finally could start the fairing process for cockpit, deck and cabin roof.